About us

The first generation of hoteliers of the Schlüter family, Johan Schlüter and his wife, ran hotel “The Abbey” in Middelburg. As a result of the bombardment of Middelburg in 1940, the hotel burned down, so the family decided to come to Belgium in search of another destination to build a new hotel. Charles Schlüter, son of Johan, bought Hotel Pavillon du Zoute in 1946. The beginning of a story in which love for the hotel business, still now, is present every day.

Wapenschild Schlüter Family	Newspaper ad Hotel De Abdij

Succession was already assured, because his son Herman Schlüter soon left his mark on the hotel business of Knokse Zoute. He found happiness with Ms Nadine Loeys, who also grew up in the hotel business. Ms Loeys’ grandparents ran the famous Brighton hotel in Knokke. The love for the hotel industry was already in both partners’ blood so the success story of Pavillon du Zoute was never far off.

As the clientele of Pavillon du Zoute continued to expand, more and more rooms were added. The expansion of the hotel can be divided into four different phases, shown below using photos from the good old days.

In the 80s, another important change took place. Herman Schlüter turned out to be a pioneer in meetings and events. Several meeting rooms were built in order to meet the needs of the increasing business tourism on the Belgian coast. Today, Pavillon du Zoute has five different meeting rooms in which the history of the different generations can still be acknowledged. Pavillon du Zoute thus carries with it a rich history in which the life stories of loyal customers who spent years of their summer holidays on the beautiful coast of Knokke are essential.

Over the years, the hotel has built up a very solid reputation where excellent service and a warm welcome are paramount. Today, the fourth generation, Marc Schlüter and Caroline Hoste, unites tradition and modernity. “We would like to maintain the authenticity of the hotel, albeit adapted to the current spirit of the time.